1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and compositions for treating freshly dug potatoes.
2. State of the Art
Potatoes, when being dug are frequently bruised, cut and/or abraded. These injuries to the potatoes oftentimes cause spoilage during shipment, storage and the like. A process known as suberization occurs naturally which tends to heal many of these injuries. However, whenever potatoes are stored, which occurs with a particularly large portion of potatoes harvested in any given year, if healing occurs slowly a significant loss of potatoes can occur through spoilage.
For example, it is relatively common in the potato storage industry to treat potatoes with Chloroisopropyl-N-carbamate (CIPC) to prevent or retard development of sprouts in the potatoes. Even though potatoes are stored at a cool temperature, for example, generally between about 40.degree. and 45.degree. F., sprouting does begin to occur after a couple months of storage. Storage of upwards of six to eight months is typical for a stored potato harvest. Thus, without treatment of a chemical such as CIPC, the stored potatoes become entangled in sprouts and the whole stored lot of potatoes may become economically useless. Although early treatment with CIPC could be advantageous for sprout inhibition purposes, application of CIPC is typically delayed until after suberization has occurred inasmuch as CIPC tends to retard suberization, resulting in accelerated rot and spoilage.